![Cricket ACT chief executive Olivia Thornton. Picture by Keegan Carroll Cricket ACT chief executive Olivia Thornton. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/3541a35e-05dc-477c-9db8-e89f674ff000.jpg/r0_511_5000_3333_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It was only 10 years ago the lights were finally turned on at Manuka Oval.
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Since then, two Test matches and numerous one-day and Twenty20 games have been played at the venue, along with a host of Big Bash matches and the annual Prime Minister's XI clash.
The pitch is considered among the best in the country and players rave about the ground whenever they have the opportunity to play in Canberra.
International cricket will return to Manuka Oval next summer and while the ACT has missed out on a Test, the ground will still host two women's Twenty20 and a men's One-Day International.
The growth in participation in the ACT is among the fastest in the country and Cricket ACT chief executive Olivia Thornton said it can be directly linked to the rise of international cricket at Manuka Oval.
"We've got a fair bit of momentum at the moment," Thornton said.
"If you look at our growth last year, we've had another 20 per cent growth in the number of participants playing our game. There is a direct correlation to bringing international content to Canberra and our community getting here to watch it and then inspiring them to continue to play or play for the first time.
"We've got some serious momentum. It's not just us, there is a strong relationship with the ACT government, with our local community and with our broader community."
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The rise of Cricket ACT will continue next summer when the ACT Comets return to the National Second XI competition as a standalone team.
The move is the next step in the path towards an ACT team in the Sheffield Shield.
"It certainly bodes well," she said.
"Particularly for some of the things we're trying to achieve as a sport in the new few years around activating an elite men's program. These things don't happen in isolation, they need to be integrated and bringing international content to Manuka is part of that."
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